Ambient Air Quality and Meteorological Data

Ambient air quality and meteorological monitoring data are available from a number of government-operated networks in British Columbia. In the Lower Fraser Valley, Metro Vancouver's AirMap provides real-time air quality and meteorological measurements from the Lower Fraser Valley Air Quality Monitoring Network. The interactive map provides convenient access to current pollutant concentrations, meteorological observations and individual monitoring stations but does not provide historical data (which can be accessed from the BC Ministry site identified below).

For British Columbia (including Metro Vancouver), the BC Ministry of Environment's EnvistaWeb provides public access to historical ambient air quality and meteorological monitoring data from stations throughout the province. Current provincial air quality conditions can also be viewed through the B.C. air quality data and monitoring pages. Current conditions are reported using the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), which is an indicator based on the combined health risks of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), ground-level ozone (O₃) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). During wildfires, PM_2.5 itself can drive the AQHI higher.

At the national level, Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC’s) National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) Program is the main source of long-term ambient air quality data across the country. ECCC's Air Quality Indicators provide a useful view of Canada’s air quality trends over the last decade and longer.

Trend in fine particulate (PM2.5) at Vancouver Clark Drive from 2016 – 2025. These data have not been treated to remove wildfire-influenced smoke days. Graph produced by Viterstream.

Air quality monitoring data is used to evaluate whether health-based Air Quality Objectives (AQOs) are met in a particular community. Both Metro Vancouver and BC maintain a set of AQOs for air contaminants of higher interest to government. See Metro Vancouver AQOs & BC AQOs. As the graph above illustrates, AQOs can sometimes be exceeded due to natural events such as wildfires. In some locations AQOs may also be exceeded due to adverse meteorological conditions, such as stagnation when air movement is restricted, although these events tend to be infrequent in Canada.